Toyota Gazoo Racing has revealed the GR Super Sports Concept at the 2018 Tokyo Auto Salon. It showcases the developments made by Toyota with its TS050 LMP1 Hybrid WEC race car, the concept sets out to establish a connection between its motorsport activities and its road cars.

The Super Sport’s powertrain is the Toyota Hybrid System – Racing used in the LMP1-H TS050 Hybrid, producing 986bhp courtesy of a twin-turbocharged, 2.4-litre V6 and two hybrid motors. The V6 and two lithium-ion powered motors develop equal power (493bhp), combining the efficiency with the EV system and the ICE’s lean-burn function to balance performance and fuel consumption. Toyota hasn’t revealed a comprehensive specfiaction, so there’s no word on the gearbox, but it’s safe to assume it uses the TS050’s transversely-mounted sequential unit, too.

The Le Mans influence extends to the exterior design, with a heavy emphasis on maximising aero efficiency, with the narrow cockpit, flowing surfaces and a large rear-wing.

Toyota sanctioned the concept to demonstrate its race-developed hybrid technology and confirm its intention for this to filter down its new sports cars going forward. Speaking about the concept and future performance models set to emerge from the new Gazoo Racing sub-brand, such as the forthcoming Supra, President of Toyota Gazoo Racing, Shigeki Tomoyama said, ‘rather than developing production cars into sports cars, we aim to work out how to incorporate the know-how gained from racing and rallying into production cars. This is how sporting competition contributes to Toyota Gazoo Racing’s efforts to make ever-better cars.

‘I hope that the GR Super Sport Concept will give a taste of what we aim to achieve with our next generation sports cars.’ So far the new Gazoo brand has produced the Toyota Yaris GRMN for the UK market, but has big plans going forward to expand Toyota’s performance range.

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